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Stock market today: World shares mostly lower in holiday-thin trading, with half-day for US markets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed Friday in Europe and Asia after U.S. markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Germany’s DAX was nearly unchanged, at 15,998.44, while the CAC 40 in Paris likewise was flat at 7,279.03. Britain’s FTSE 100 dropped 0.4% to 7,453.40. On Wall Street, the futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.1% ahead of Friday’s half-day trading session. On Wednesday, before the holiday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Dow rose 0.5%. The Nasdaq gained 0.5%. It’s been a quiet week for data releases, but Japan reported its consumer inflation rose for the first time in four months, with big gains in food prices and hotel rates as tourism has soared. The consumer price index rose 3.3% in October from a year earlier, up from 3% in September in a trend contrary to the Bank of Japan’s forecasts for price pressures to abate toward the year’s end. “Both the government and the BOJ will be concerned ...

South African Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius up for parole 10 years after killing his girlfriend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius could be granted parole on Friday after spending nearly 10 years in prison in South Africa for murder. The double-amputee Olympic runner was one of the world’s most admired athletes before he killed his girlfriend by shooting her multiple times through a toilet door at his home on Valentine’s Day 2013.Pistorius, who turned 37 this week, was sent to prison in late 2014. He has been given a second chance at parole in the space of eight months after he was wrongly ruled ineligible for early release at a first hearing in March. That was due to an error made by an appeals court over when the sentence officially started.Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide — a charge comparable to manslaughter — for killing Reeva Steenkamp. That conviction was overturned and he was convicted of murder after an appeal by prosecutors. They also appealed against an initial sentence of six years for murder, and Pistorius was ultimate...

People taking ADHD medications should closely monitor their heart health, study suggests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Long-term use of ADHD medications can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease in both children and adults, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. Experts say that the benefits of treatment still outweigh the risks for many, but heart heath should be carefully considered and monitored when making individual decisions.Researchers in Sweden followed the medical records of thousands of individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder — known as ADHD — for an average of four years, and up to 14 years, between 2007 and 2020. The patients, ages 6 to 64, were monitored for a range of cardiovascular disease diagnoses. The researchers found that people taking ADHD medications had a higher risk of hypertension and arterial disease, and the risk increased over time.Each additional year of ADHD medication use elevated the risk of heart disease by an average of 4%, stabilizing after more substantial increases in the first three years of treatment. Overall, the resu...

Find the perfect gift for your child this holiday season at Learning Express Toys store in Pinecrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Trying to track down some of this holiday season’s hot new toys? Well you’re in luck.“Merry Christmas, come on in. Let’s find the hot new toys for the season,” said Jessica Thompson, manager of Learning Express Toys.Parents can start off with a selection of toys for toddlers as little as 12 months old.“New for this year, we have the animal adventure train,” Thompson said. “You get to hear all your animal noises and it rolls along with you. This is great for 12 months plus.”But if baking is more your child’s style.“Cinnamon rolls, mmm. Perfect for those 3 year olds in their pretend play. Yum, yum, yum, yum,” Thompson said,And if your child wants to be a future music star, Learning Express Toys has the perfect gift.“And for the rock and roller in your life, we have a DJ set specially made for those 12 months plus to 2 years,” Thompson said. “He can be his very own DJ. Keep you rockin.”Now, ...

Rutte’s party won’t join Geert Wilders in Dutch coalition, new leader says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Dilan Yeşilgöz, the leader of the biggest center-right party in the Dutch parliament, ruled out joining a potential Geert Wilders-dominated coalition but said she could support such a government from the sidelines.This could pave the way for an alliance between Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) and Pieter Omtzigt’s center-right New Social Contract (NSC) in government.“The big winners are the PVV and NSC. After 13 years, a different role suits us,” Yeşilgöz, leader of the liberal-conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the part of outgoing premier Mark Rutte told reporters in The Hague on Friday. “But we will make a center-right cabinet possible. We will support constructive proposals, so it is a form of tolerance,” she added, according to public broadcaster NOS.Wilders quickly reacted on X, formerly Twitter, saying VVD’s decision, taken before the start of coalition negotiations, was “very disappointing.&#...

Nissan confirms future of Sunderland factory with UK government support

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

LONDON — Japanese carmaker Nissan has committed to building three new electric vehicle models in the north east of England in a major boost to Britain’s automotive sector.The long-term commitment by Nissan is expected to be backed by government support.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Nissan’s investment was a “massive vote of confidence in the U.K.’s automotive industry.” Sky News reported earlier this week that Sunak had been personally involved in discussions with Nissan.The company announced on Friday that it will build new electric Qashqai, Juke and LEAF models at its factory in Sunderland, which will also be supplied by an additional battery gigafactory and electricity grid infrastructure.Taken together, the plans represent £2 billion of investment and protect 7,000 direct British jobs, Nissan said.The overall sum of government support for the project was not disclosed on Friday, but will include £15 million for a research center in Bedfordshire and the creation of a North East...

Firefighters battle house fire in Norwood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Firefighters responded to a fire the broke out in a three-story home in Norwood overnight.The fire left the top level of the home completely charred.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.No additional information is immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Shoppers hit the stores for Black Friday deals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Shoppers across Mass. lined up in the cold Friday morning to be sure they were among the first take advantage of Black Friday deals.At the Wrentham Outlets, people could be seen lined up outside the stores as they prepared to open for crowds. At South Shore Plaza, the parking lot was empty with an hour to go before opening.Stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest Black Friday news.

The second installment of Sri Lanka’s bailout was delayed. The country hopes it’s coming in December

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The governor of Sri Lanka’s Central Bank said Friday he’s confident it will receive the second instalment of a $2.9-billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund before the end of the year, after payment was delayed due to inadequate oversight and debt restructuring.“I am confident that we are making very good progress. We are moving in the right direction,” said Nandalal Weerasinghe.Sri Lanka plunged into economic crisis in 2022, suffering severe shortages and drawing strident protests that led to the ouster of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt — more than half of it to foreign creditors. The IMF agreed in March to a $2.9-billion bailout package, releasing the first payment shortly thereafter.The IMF’s review in September said Sri Lanka’s economy was recovering, but it needed to improve its tax administration, eliminate exemptions and crack down ...

Ukraine aims a major drone attack at Crimea as Russia tries to capture a destroyed eastern city

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine launched one of the biggest drone attacks on the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula since the full-scale war that started with Russia’s invasion 21 months ago, Russian officials said Friday.At the same time, Ukrainian officials reported that the Kremlin’s forces escalated their weekslong and costly attempt to storm Avdiivka, a strategically important city in eastern Ukraine.The stepped-up efforts came as both sides are keen to show they are not deadlocked as the fighting approaches 2024. Neither side has gained much ground despite a Ukrainian counteroffensive that began in June, and analysts predict the war will be a long one. With winter weather setting in, bringing snow and freezing temperatures to the battlefield, Ukraine and Russia are looking to take ground that could provide platforms for future advances.The Moscow-appointed governor for the Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraine’s Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said Ukraine launched ...